Tom’s Take on Decision ‘08

Posted on May 4, 2008

Tom Hanks has a preferred candidate, but what makes his endorsement interesting is not the person he chooses, but how he frames that choice. This video, which appeared on the actor’s MySpace page, seems as much a comment on the celebrity endorsement as it is an endorsement by a celebrity.

One thing I see is that Tom Hanks, who can command millions of dollars to produce a movie, used the democratic vehicle of the internet and his own camera, in his own office, to produce a personal opinion that anyone can read and respond to even if they don’t own a computer.

“Freedom of the press belongs to the man who owns a press.” (not any more!)

Thanks so much for your eloquence. You’re absolutely correct that stand this for much longer. How many of us have already been lost to this greed? We know the troops who have lost their lives, but what about ALL of the unemployed and ALL of the homeless? I’ve seen so much misery and suffering right here at home, that it has truly broken my heart and often my spirit.

And all the while, there isn’t even a PRETENSE any longer, to what they’ve planned for Iraq and the rest of the middle east, as they step up the bombings of the millions of citizens in Iraq, who are the left-overs…the poor who couldn’t get away long ago. Same thing in Somalia, though they’ve contracted with Ethiopia to do the destruction on the ground, while the US keeps attacking from the air…all civilians, all unable to protect themselves.

The destruction to us here at home is only slightly less obvious, because we don’t have the bombs and the tanks in the streets. The effect is the same.

These gangster criminals make Hitler and his gestapo look like keystone cops.

Cyrena, I too did not read that statement into the endorsement. But much to my amazement, it came across as an honest and true statement of someone’s belief in a candidate that is an electable and worthwhile person who could be a great president.

With that said, Mr. Hanks, had something to say and unlike many of the celebrities of Hollyweird, came across as a thinking and breathing individual, who does not have handlers mapping out his every move and thinks for himself.

Would that all the people of Hollyweird, were like Mr. Hanks, then we might have someone in the office of the presidency that could really make a difference in the lives of “us common folk.” There would not be the favoritism and chicanery that has followed the shrub’s administration, if the people were truly the one’s that elected him to that most esteemed office.

For once and for all, we must elect someone whom we can trust to keep his word and that is Sen. Barack Obama, (D) Illinois. No one else has the character and the heart to fully comprehend the people’s plight and the hardships that are entailed with the lowering of taxes on the upper 1% of the country. All this while raising the tax rate on the bottom 99% of the rest of the country. We cannot stand much longer a presidency that caters to the wealthy and kowtows to the corporations, giving them welfare and breaking the bank of the poor and middle class.

“God Bless America,” what a laugh! When a nation forgets the care of the poor and disenfranchised, it will pay the price of losing its place in the world because there is no justice and mercy in that nation, only hardship and inequity, judgment and cruelty towards the poor and orphans. This country was founded as a haven for the poor and disenfranchised, now we are a nation of elitists for whom the people are nothing more than a major pain in the ass.

Sorry to be so pessimistic, but if the shoe fits for this country, we must own up to the analysis of those who every day see the results of the inequitable and inept policies of an administration that cares for nothing more than lining the pockets of those who were chosen and anointed to be part of the cabal of thieves that have raped and pillaged this country for all that it is worth.

There must be justice for all those who have died fighting an immoral and senseless war for nothing more than lining the pockets of this corrupt and inept administration. Given the chance, my dream is to see the “gang of five,” in prison for a very long time. Just hoping folks!

Oh, I think it matters quite a great deal to the battered people of Iraq, as well as the many battered people that have been victimized by US imperialism everywhere else in the world, not to mention us right here at home.

While it may have escaped YOUR attention on February 15th, 2003, there were SEVERAL MILLION people in at least 64 countries, joining the rest of us (along with Barack Obama) in protest of the disaster that was about to be launched.

How cool is that? I happen to like Tom Hanks, don’t know the guy personally, but he’s a great actor.

When he played “Forrest Gump”, it was believable. Have you never met this type? Because if you haven’t you haven’t lived. It seems to me if you “get that” or understand who Forrest Gump is…then you understand integrity. Forrest Gump is full of integrity, sadly missing all to often from our national discourse.

However, Hanks depicts it well, very well, in fact. In order to do that, one would HAVE to UNDERSTAND that. I feel that says something about Hanks.

I think the endorsement itself is somewhat of a parody, just the same, it’s cool (or did that escape you…?).

He does read HISTORY, did you miss that? That’s a definite plus. Only then can you ascertain, the future. That’s where we get the saying, “the writing is on the wall”, or “been there, done that”, to be more “hip”.

Oh wait, are you a McCain supporter…? Most likely then, this is beyond your comprehension.

Hank’s humorous endorsement is hearty and appealing. He also seems to be rebuking the media’s assistance with conservative’s attempts to “lynch” Obama through guilt by association.

By delivering this endorsement on his MySpace page, he seems to be saying, “the media has spoon fed you a load of crap, and even though I could make one phone call and get a truck load of cameras to come film this, I DON’T TRUST THEM, and neither should you.” He reveals himself to be thoughtful, sincere, and positive about the future.

He’s offered Americans more relevance than the last two months of the network’s political propaganda.

Tom Hanks is a great actor, and a patriotic American. (and boy was I wrong about him when he did that TV show in drag)

Celebrity or not, the message was right on and hope- fully the American voter will get past the messenger and understand the message. America has always risen to the occasion. We have either thrown the bums out or ignored them. However not since the civil war has our Nation been so divided. Our economy will surely recover and as long as we have the biggest bomb, we will be feared, but we will also become so isolated and so reviled through out the world that we will implode into anarchy with the very rich, hire-ing their own mercenary armys (Blackwater, triplecannopy etc.) to protect their ill-gotten gains and we will destroy and condem our children to a life-time of fear and hoplessness.. We that think of ourselves as informed and sofisticated electors; well, we are going to have ot decide whether we are going to preserve our Nation for our children and grandchildren ,or by our in-action contribute to the continued disintigration. Wake up America…